Capacitors are an important component in power delivery management in PCB assemblies. The capacitors may be located at various positions in or on the electronic package or the PCB on which the package is mounted. For example, capacitors are commonly positioned on the package (e.g., land-side capacitors), on the PCB (e.g., PCB edge capacitors or backside capacitors), or embedded within the PCB.
However, there are drawbacks to placing capacitors at each of these locations. For example, land-side capacitors require that the overall size of the package be increased. Accordingly, there is an increase in the cost of the package. Alternatively, PCB edge capacitors occupy valuable real-estate on the motherboard, and backside capacitors increase the overall Z-height of the assembly. Embedding the capacitors within the PCB saves real-estate, but are an expensive solution to implement. Additionally, embedding the capacitors within the PCB disrupts the core routing layers of the PCB.
Accordingly, there is a need for a cost-effective capacitor placement solution for PCB assemblies.